FIF - Oatmeal Crisps and Granola Bars

Mrs. Overwhelmed with joy is having Appetizers and Snacks this week - some of us misunderstood and posted it last week instead - I would NEVER say Mrs. OWJ got her dates mixed up, even though she confessed, that would just be rude! :-) So I am posting snacks again, two of my favorite in fact! Just not freezer recipes this week as all the ones I have are more like lunches than appetizers or snacks!

While technically this is a cookie recipe, it is so healthy and low fat that it makes a great healthy snack too!

Oatmeal Crisps

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cup rolled oats

Cream margarine and sugar together. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir to moisten.

Mix in rolled oats.

Drop by the teaspoon full onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375F for 10 minutes.


Okay, so maybe saying that it is healthy is pushing it, but for a cookie it sure is.

Maybe it is just a cookie recipe....

How about Granola bars? Those are snackes! We cannot buy granola anything because of Miss Pear's peanut allergy, and Miss Pear LOVES "ola bars", so I make my own, here is my recipe. Mr. Pear always asks me to make these for when he travels for business so that he is not left to the mercies of the airports, or the hotel in Mexico.

Granola Bars (Adapted from a recipe I found at Tammy's Recipes)

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
8 cups rolled oats (can substitute quick oats, if not using shredded coconut add 1/2 cup)
2-3 cups mixed goodies such as (chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, flax seeds
etc.)
We like:
1 cup raisins
1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup dried pineapple
1 cup shredded coconut

Melt butter in a small pot. Add the sugars and heat until the sugars are dissolved.

While the butter is melting and the sugars are dissolving, mix the oats and goodies in a large bowl.

Once the sugar mixture is ready, pour it over the oat mixture and mix thoroughly making sure there are no big clumps remaining.

Turn out onto well-greased jellyroll pan or half sheet pan (I use parchment paper and then spray the paper with cooking oil). Pat mixture down firmly with the back of a spatula or with your hands, making sure that it is evenly.

Bake at 350F for 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn out on large cooling rack or cutting board (whatever is large enough) and cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Cut as close to 10 minutes as possible so that they are not too chewy and not too crisp for best cutting. Let cool the rest of the way and store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers.